


40 Weeks

by GirlieX29



Category: The X files
Genre: F/M, Pregnant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-10-24 21:37:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17712026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GirlieX29/pseuds/GirlieX29
Summary: Mulder and Scully’s second baby is almost here.





	1. The Night Before

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to the amazing Kyouryoku Senshi for the beta!!

40 Weeks 

Scully POV 

Tomorrow is my 40-week doctor's appointment, and as I lay here in the bed I share with Mulder I am unable to sleep. 

I never thought I would see my 40-week appointment, hell I never thought I would be pregnant again especially at 54 years old. 

I can hear his slow even breaths and feel the warmth on the back of my neck. It reminds me, but not for the first time how different this pregnancy is, Mulder is here this time. 

I can tell he’s excited, he already has the nursery done. In fact, it’s been done for weeks. He’s read every book on pregnancy and childbirth that he could possibly get his hands on, so when he wakes up and snuggles closer to me and places his hand on my belly saying “I can feel you thinking, what’s the matter?” I know he’s checking to see if I’m in labor, and I call him on it. 

“I’m not in labor yet, Mulder, I’m just up thinking about tomorrow and can’t sleep.” His hand on my belly feels wonderful; I can feel our daughter roll and kick as she reacts to her father's hand. 

“What, I can’t just snuggle with my pregnant wife and say hi to my little girl without some hidden agenda?” he asks, trying to sound hurt. If she was facing him, she would see the mock hurt look he’s trying to pull off on his face. 

“Are you worried they are going to find something wrong? Talk to me Scully,” he says in my ear. 

“I…I don’t know, this pregnancy has been so easy, I guess I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop.” 

He kisses the back of my neck and whispers “Honey, it’s 3 am, please try and get some rest. Let me worry about the baby for a while.” 

I nod and sink my head further into the pillow. 

I still can’t seem to turn my brain off. Between wondering if we have everything packed in the bag for the hospital...if the car seat is installed properly; is it even the right car seat should we have gone with another one? Did I choose the right outfit for her to come home in? Is she going to be too hot or too cold? Are the receiving blankets soft enough so they don’t irritate her super sensitive skin? What about the diapers, did we buy the right diapers? The right size even? Should we try and introduce binkies right away or will that cause nipple confusion? Everything has changed so much in nearly 18 years that I feel like a first-time mom all over again. 

Mulder still sensing my unrest puts one of his legs between mine and holds my belly with one of his hands. “I thought you were going to try and sleep.” 

“I can’t sleep, Mulder. I have too much to think about. Too much to double check and I’m seriously beginning to second guess my ability to do this again.” 

Mulder gets out of bed and comes around to my side and kneels down so that our noses are almost touching. “Scully, where are all these insecurities coming from? You are going to be an amazing mother to our little girl.”

Curse these damn hormones for making me cry over everything. “Honey, don’t cry, it’s going to be okay. Try to get some sleep, we can check everything in the morning if it will make you feel better.” 

I just nod, tears still streaming down my face. “If I’m going to be such an awesome mom, why don’t we have a name yet? She’s almost here and she doesn’t have a name,” I sob. He starts to place little kisses on my face and I start to calm down. “I want to call her Abigail, Abby for short.” 

“Done.. see, that wasn’t so hard, now was it?” Mulder gets up off the floor and gets back into the bed. 

“Sleep now, Scully, your appointment is at 11 am and I would like you to get as much sleep as you can right now.” Mulder wrapped me and Abby up in his arms where we fall asleep.


	2. The Check Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second installment of a one off turned series lol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always the characters are not mine  
> No copyright infringement intended
> 
> Thanx again to @Kyouryokusenshi for being my amazing beta!!

I woke up this morning feeling rested and much better about having a baby than I did last night. It was about 8:30 this morning when Abby decided to use my bladder as a drum, so I was forced to leave Mulder and my warm bed to quickly waddle to the bathroom before I wet myself. Instead of climbing back into bed, I decided that it was time to get some things done before my doctor’s appointment, I went to the nursery to repack the hospital bag. “What are you doing, Scully?” Mulder asks from the doorway, his hair still messy from sleeping.

“I’m making sure we have everything in the bag that we need, Mulder,” I said while stuffing items in the bag. 

“How are you feeling, any contractions?” He asks me as he comes up behind me, placing his hands underneath giant belly.

I lean into his embrace and sigh. “No, she’s feeling lower though so there’s that, and I do feel a lot better about having her than I did last night. I’m still feeling a little overwhelmed by all we have left to do, but we’ve been through worse, we got this,” I say as I cover his hands with my own. Abby chooses this moment to let us know she’s here. She kicks and now that’s she’s obviously moved into position, her foot kicks towards my ribs.

“We know you’re here, Abigail,” Mulder chuckles, touching her tiny foot beneath my taught skin. “Mmmm I wish she was in my arms already. Even though I’ve enjoyed this pregnancy, I’m so ready to not be pregnant anymore.” It was nearly 9:15am and we needed to get ready for my apt. The drive to the hospital from our house was about hour. 

 

We arrive at the hospital 15 minutes before the apt. We park the car in the parking garage and go inside. The inside of the office is painted in a light yellow, and the walls have Anne Geddes baby portraits on them.

Mulder sits down as I get us checked in. “My name is Dana Scully I am here for my 11 o’clock apt with Dr. Alice Argon” I say to the extremely chipper receptionist. “Yes, Dana I’ve found your apt, it says you’re here for your 40 week check up, have a seat and someone will call your name shortly” she says placing my chart in the waiting to be seen pile.

I walk over and sit next to Mulder who is reading a pamphlet on ways to induce labor naturally. “What are you reading that for Mulder” I ask for what seems like the millionth time. “I’m trying to educate myself on ways to encourage little Abigail here to join us on the outside” he says patting my belly. 

“Mulder, while I appreciate your preparedness, I really hope we won’t have to resort to that, I’m uncomfortable enough as it is.” Before Mulder can comment further a nurse comes out and calls us back. 

“Dana, my name is Marie. I am one of the nurses working with Dr. Argon, let’s get your weight, and a urine sample before we go to the exam room. 

I slip my shoes off before stepping on the scale for what’s arguably my last time as a pregnant woman. “Weight is 142.4lbs, looking good Dana,” Marie says, watching me step off the scale and slip my shoes back on before handing me a sterile cup so I can give a urine sample.

They both wait for me in the hall. It doesn’t take long and I wash my hands before returning to the hallway. Marie leads the way and Mulder walks behind me with his hand on the small of my back. 

She takes us to room number 3. She wants me to sit on the exam table and Mulder helps me get seated. 

“Let’s take your blood pressure,” she says, wrapping the blood pressure cuff around my arm. It takes a moment, but then she happily announces “122/80, that’s great! Let me get the paper gown and cover out so you can get ready before the doctor comes in.” 

Mulder takes the gown and cover from the nurse and helps me off the exam table before helping me change. “I’m nervous, Mulder,” I say in a voice just above a whisper. 

“What’s wrong Scully, why are you nervous?” He asks, placing a kiss on my temple. 

Before I can answer, Alice knocks on the door before entering. “How are you feeling today Dana? Mulder, it’s nice to see you,” Alice says patting my knee then giving Mulder a side hug. 

Rubbing my belly, I tell Alice “She’s been just as active as she was at my last visit. She’s had a few cases of hiccups and she feels likes she’s dropped since last week’s appointment.” Mulder takes my hand and holds it. 

“Okay, that’s good to hear, let’s check her out shall we?” Alice says, walking over to my side. She starts moving my belly around to feel for Abby’s position. 

“She’s definitely dropped and is in the perfect head-down position. Lets check her heart rate, then I’ll check and see if you have started dilating,” Alice says, grabbing the portable heart rate monitor and moving it around on my belly looking for Abby’s heartbeat. 

Once she finds it, the sound fills the room and tears fill my eyes and spill down my cheeks. 

“There she is Scully, nice and strong,” Mulder whispers into my ear. I just nod as the tears continue to fall. The sound of an incoming message alert tone coming from Mulder’s phone makes me jump. He searches around his pockets for a moment until he finds it. 

“Mulder, what?” I asked, the tears having stopped. 

“It’s Skinner, he wants to meet with us, I’m gonna tell him we’ll call him when we get to the car,” Mulder says as he responds to Skinner’s text before putting his phone back in his pocket. “Sorry for the interruption, let’s continue,” He adds taking a hold of my hand. 

Alice pulls the stirrups out of the exam table and helps me place my legs in them. “Now let’s see how much you are dilated Dana,” Alice says, pulling on a pair of latex gloves. The exam is a little uncomfortable and I squeeze Mulder’s hand a little. Mulder squeezes back and places a kiss on my forehead. 

“Looks like you are about 2 centimeters dilated Dana, I know we talked about having me deliver her at your home, is that still something you want to do?” Alice asks, pulling off her gloves before helping me removing my legs from the stirrups.

I nod, and look at Mulder’s face, it’s a mixture of disbelief and panic. “I’m not really comfortable with it, but if Scully trusts you, I trust you and if she wants her born at home, that’s where she’s going to be born.” 

“I love you, Mulder. We both love you so much,” I say, kissing him. 

“Okay, that settles it then, she can come at any time now. You can call me anytime day or night and I’ll be right over,” Alice says as she helps me off the exam table. 

“This is it Mulder, the home stretch, are you sure you’re ready for this?” I ask, swatting his ass. 

“I guess we won’t need the hospital bag you packed this morning, huh Scully?” Mulder chuckles.

“Let’s go home and prepare for our little miracle, Mulder,” I pat my belly as we exit the exam room.


	3. Lunch Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What does skinner want?

We call Skinner the moment we get in the car. Since both of our phones are connected through Bluetooth, the call plays through the cars speakers.

He answers on the 3rd ring. “Skinner.” 

“You texted, what’s up?” Mulder says taking ahold of my hand. 

“There’s something I need to talk to you both about; Is there somewhere we can meet, this isn’t something I feel comfortable discussing over the phone,” Skinner says with a seriousness in his tone that I haven’t heard in quite awhile. 

“Yeah, there’s a little diner around the corner from the hospital. Annie’s, they have pretty good food, and it’s quiet,” I chime in. 

“Sounds like a plan, meet you there in 20?” Skinner asks. 

“Yeah, we are on our way there now” Mulder says heading out of the hospital’s parking garage. 

We arrive before Skinner and go inside to find a booth in the back. We just get seated when we see Skinner walk in. He sees us and heads back to where we are. 

“Long time no see,” Mulder says to Skinner as he sits down. “So what was so important that you couldn’t just tell us over the phone?” I ask. He doesn't look me in the eyes.

“It’s about William..” he says 

“What.. what about him?” I ask nervously and Mulder reaches for my hand and squeezes it. 

“After our conversation in the car all those months ago, I couldn’t help but wonder if the information I was given was a load of BS,” Skinner says looking at Mulder. 

“Why are you just now telling us this,” Mulder asks with slight irritation in his tone. 

“After the last conversation, and seeing what that information did to you, I wanted to be sure of what I suspected before I came to you with new information.” Skinner said gently.

“Skinner, what…” I say, my voice cracking. Mulder squeezes me closer to him and places a kiss on my temple. 

“I’m not gonna say how, but I was able to get a hold of samples of your DNA, all three of you. I know you are familiar with the test, I have the results here. I wanted you to see them for yourself,” Skinner says, handing me a manila envelope. I take a deep breath before undoing the string holding the envelope closed. 

Once the string is free, I open the envelope with shaky hands, taking the papers out. I look through them until I get to the results page. When I see what my heart always knew, tears stream down my face. “Scully, Dana, what is it?” Mulder asks wiping my tears away with his hand. 

I don’t say anything. I just hand him the paper so he can see for himself. When he sees what I saw, he looks at me with wonder in his eyes. All the darkness is gone; all I can see is pure love.

I just nod at him, everything else seems inadequate somehow. “Thank you Skinner, for doing this for us. It means a lot more than words can express,” I say to him in a tone just above a whisper.

Mulder looks at me then, and I nod. “Skinner, there is something that we’ve wanted to ask you, we just haven’t been able to figure out how, or when, but with this new information, I think now is the perfect time, and this is the place.” Mulder says. 

Skinner has this puzzled look on his face, but waits for us to continue. “Skinner, Scully and I would be honored if you would be our children’s godfather,” Mulder says, looking from Skinner to my belly, and back to Skinner. 

“Wow! Guys, I don’t know what to say, knowing that you trust me with this, it’s... of course I’ll do it.” Skinner says, surprised. 

“When are you due, Scully?” Skinner asks pointing to my belly. 

“Today actually, we just came from my 40 week appointment. She’s in the perfect head down position, she’s dropped, and all we are waiting for now is labor to start.” I say, squeezing Mulder’s hand.

“Scully wants to have her in our home, so we need to go get all the items we are going to need to pull this off,” Mulder says nervously. “And you are still sure you wanna have her at home, Scully? I know you and Alice know each other really well, and that you’ve worked with her, and you trust her, but I’m still really nervous.” Mulder says, trying to get through to me how much he doesn’t agree with my wishes. 

“Mulder...” I say, sighing. “When William was born, I was without you in the middle of nowhere, no running water, no electricity, scared to death that someone wanted William dead. His birth was terrifying. Now I have you with me, and no one is trying to harm this baby. I want the birth experience I was robbed of the first time.” I say, trying to make Mulder understand how important this is to me.

Before I have a chance to continue, Mulder kisses my temple and says “Okay, I understand. I would still rather be in a hospital, but I see your point,” Mulder acquiesces. 

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Skinner asks waving his finger in a circle around my belly. 

“Actually yeah, we need a birthing pool and tarps or drop clothes, and we need to move some of the furniture out of the way to make room for the pool,” Mulder says, making a mental checklist. 

"You can help me move the furniture, and carry the pool in the house. We are using one of those inflatable ones, so hopefully it comes in a box or something. I’m probably going to see help setting it up too,” Mulder says, looking at the note app on his phone.   
“Are we going to eat, or are we just going to talk?” I ask impatiently as I continue to watch people eat, and hear my stomach growl. 

“Uh oh, Mulder you have an angry pregnant woman on your hands. You better feed her before she gets hostile,” Skinner jokes. 

To that I add, “Gets?” 

Both men just laugh as Mulder flags down a waitress. 

“Hi, I’m Sunflower. I’ll be your server, here are some menus. I’ll give you a few moments to look them over, but first what can I get everyone to drink?” The young, fit, chipper server asks. 

“I’ll just have water,” I say motioning to my belly. 

“And for you gentlemen,” She says looking at Mulder and Skinner. 

“Do you have any Shiner Bock?” Mulder asks looking at me. 

“Mulder...” I say just above a whisper. 

“What Scully, it’s celebration beer, we have a lot to celebrate today,” he says, looking at me. He puts his hand on my belly. 

“Alright,” I sigh. 

“Yea, we have that,” the server says with an odd look on her face. To the sever's odd expression Mulder adds, “We just left my wife’s 40 week appointment where we found out the baby can come any day, and we just asked this guy right here to be The Godfather,” Mulder says pointing to Skinner. 

“Sounds like a reason to celebrate to me!” the server says cheerfully. It doesn’t matter that Mulder only tells her most of the reason; she knows all she needs to. 

“And for you Sir, what will you be drinking?” 

“I’ll have what he’s having,” Skinner says, pointing to Mulder. 

“Great, I’ll go get your drinks and give you a few minutes to look over the menu,” Sunflower says as she goes to get our drinks. 

“So what does little Abigail feel like eating Scully?” Mulder asks rubbing my belly. 

“Hmmmm I don’t know, I’m thinking the cheeseburger, and French fries,” I say, licking my lips. “Maybe a milkshake,” Mulder chuckles at my comment saying “I want a few sips of the Milkshake, I think I’m gonna have the cheeseburger and fries too.”

“I’m really not that hungry, I think I’m going to go with a bowl of chili,” Skinner says putting his menu in the pile with ours. Sunflower comes back with our drinks and takes our food order. We sit there in silence while we eat. It’s not an uncomfortable silence, but more of an enjoying each other’s company without having to talk silence. 

We finish our meals in silence and Mulder asks for the check. When Sunflower brings the check Skinner grabs it and gives her his credit card. “Consider this my first act as godfather,” Skinner says grinning from ear to ear. Before we leave the diner, I look at Mulder and say, “If you and Skinner want to go get the items we need for little Abby’s birth, I can drive myself home and get in the bath.” 

The panicked look on Mulder's face makes me giggle. “Scully you are due any day, I don’t feel comfortable letting you drive by yourself,” Mulder says gently grabbing my hand. 

“Mulder…” I say with irritation. I force myself to take a deep breath before I continue. “Mulder, I am capable of driving, I did it when I was pregnant with William… why is it an issue now, and it wasn’t an issue then..” I say trying to cross my arms over my belly, giving Mulder the look. 

Mulder sighs before he starts to speak. “Scully, it’s not that I doubt your ability to drive. I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to you or baby Abigail,” he’s talking as he rubs my belly. 

“Mulder, I just want to go home and take a bath, my feet hurt and my back hurts. I’ll call the moment I park in front of the house,” I say trying to convince him it’s going to be fine.

Mulder sighs before he speaks “Okay, Skinner and I will get what we need then we’ll head home.” I give Mulder a quick kiss, take the keys, and head to the car. 

The drive home is a long boring one, and as I promised, I call Mulder the moment I park in front of the house. He answers on the second ring. “See Mulder, I made it home just fine, I’m to go inside and clean the house. I was going to take a bath, but I realized I would need your help getting in and out of the tub, so I’m just gonna wait. I have this incessant need to clean, so I’m going to go inside and do that. I promise I won’t overdo it, I know that’s what you are gonna say next.” I can hear Skinner laughing in the background. 

“Okay Scully, we are here to pick up an inflatable birthing pool, do you want the rectangle or round?” 

“Rectangle will be better I think,” I say getting out of the car and walking inside. 

“That’s all I need, for now, Scully, see you when we get home.” 

“Yeah.” After I hang up with Mulder I get to cleaning. I start downstairs and it takes me about a half an hour to clean the living room. I don’t bother with the kitchen, because we won’t be in there much in the next few days. I’m trying to concentrate my energy on areas of the house that I will be walking through while in labor. 

I wish it would start soon, the pain in my back and hips is getting progressively worse. I’m sitting on the couch taking a break when I hear Mulder and Skinner driving up the road. Mulder and Skinner walk through the door, and Mulder walks over to where I’m sitting on the couch and says, “What’s wrong Scully, you feeling okay? Has labor started?” He sits down next to me on the couch and puts his hand on my belly. 

“Hmm...no Mulder, but I wish it would. The pain in my back and hips is unrelenting,” I say in a somewhat whiny tone. 

“Do you think a bath will help? I can go start one for you,” He says, kissing my forehead. 

“Please, I’m willing to try anything.” Mulder nods and goes to start the bath. 

“I’m so glad to see you guys back together,” Skinner says.

I just nod “How is retirement treating you, what have you been up to,” I ask, keeping my eyes closed while starting some of the breathing techniques we learned in Lamaze. “Don’t worry I’m not in labor yet, the breathing is making my back feel better,” I say, sensing his sudden unease. 

“I’m not really doing much of anything, honestly. I still have a fair amount of physical therapy to do before my full range of motion is back, but strength-wise, I’m almost back to normal,” Skinner says, bending his legs. 

“Your bath is all ready for you Scully, I’ll help you get in it when you are ready,” Mulder says, walking down the stars. “Yes please,” I say, getting up off the couch. 

“I’m gonna help Scully into the bathtub, then we can get all of this setup,” Mulder tells Skinner as he follows me up the stairs and to the bathroom. I undress and Mulder helps me into the tub. The water feels amazing and smells amazing too. 

“I put some of your lavender essential oils in there too Scully,” Mulder tells me as I lay back in the tub. 

“I’m gonna go down with Skinner and get everything set up, so we are ready, and then he can head home,” Mulder says as he stands in the doorway. I just nod as he leaves the bathroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters are not mine   
> No copyright infringement intended


	4. Is today the day?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Does Abby arrive today? Guess you have to read and find out.

“Morning sunshine,” Mulder whispers in my ear as I open eyes to look at him. We are facing each other and Mulder has a hand on the side of my belly, gently rubbing it.

“Mulder what time is it, how long have you been up?” I ask him, still groggy from sleep.

“It’s 11am Scully, I knew you were beyond exhausted yesterday, so I just let you sleep until you woke up on your own. I got up at 7,” he says, placing a kiss on my temple. 

“Thank you, yesterday was a really long day. I’m glad we finished gathering all the supplies we are going to need to do a home birth, and we can finally relax for now,” I say, staying in bed.

“What do you want to eat for lunch? We should go out somewhere,” Mulder says, getting off the bed and heading to the bathroom.

“I don’t know Mulder, I kinda want to stay home. My back is still bothering me and the pain in my hips feels like it’s gotten worse,” I say, moving around in bed suddenly, unable to find a comfortable position.

“It’s still bad, huh… Scully, just stay in bed then. We can use Uber eats to order food,” Mulder says, putting toothpaste on his toothbrush and brushing his teeth.

“Uber, Mulder?” I ask as I look at him like he’s gone crazy.

“Yeah Scully, you use the app to order food from restaurants who participate and someone delivers your food to your location.” He explains, pulling out his phone and handing it to me.

“Find something that sounds good. I have something for you downstairs, I’m going to bring it up here for you,” Mulder says, leaving our bedroom and walking downstairs. I’m having a hard time choosing anything. I find that I’m not really that hungry.

I doesn’t take Mulder long and he’s returning to our bedroom. “Before you ask what this is, Scully, I told the lady at the store where we picked up the birthing pool about your back and hip pain, and she said this should help alleviate most, if not all the pain in your hips.” He says, looking damn proud of himself.

“A yoga ball, Mulder?” I say in a tone that conveys how unconvinced I am at this solution.

“Before you dismiss this completely, just try it.” He helps me out of bed, and helps me sit on this yoga ball. The relief I feel in my hips is immediate andthe pressure is gone.

“Omg… I don’t think I’m going to leave this ball until I go into labor,” I joke.

Mulder chuckles and says, “I’m glad this is working for you Scully.” He kisses the back of my hands as he holds them.

“Okay, Scully, now that you are comfortable, what about food? Have you found anything?”

I shake my head, “I’m not hungry, Mulder, nothing sounds good. You order whatever sounds good to you,” I say as I continue to move around on the yoga ball.

“Can you help me up so I can at least brush my teeth. I was only half joking when I said I was going to stay on this yoga ball until labor started,” I say as Mulder helps me stand up and I walk to the bathroom to brush my teeth.

On my way back to the yoga ball, I stop and sit on the bed. “Sitting on that ball feels like it helped Abby move down some, I can breathe easier and my hips don’t hurt as bad,” I say, rubbing my belly and getting up to get dressed.

“That’s good Scully, I’m glad I was able to bring you some relief,” he says as he stares at the Uber eats app on his phone. “I think I’m going to order Chinese food Scully, you sure you don’t want anything?” He asks. He walks up behind me in the walk in closet and places his hands around my belly, kissing my neck.

“Yeah, I’m sure Mulder. I’m not hungry,” I say covering his hands with mine. “You know Scully, in those pregnancy and childbirth books I’ve been reading, they say that loss of appetite is a sign of impending childbirth. You’re sure you’re not in labor, Scully?” I take a deep breath and let it out before I answer his question.

“You are a dangerous man when you are too informed Mulder, and to answer your question, no I don’t think I’m in labor, but I wish I was.” The last part comes out as more of a whisper.

“I know you are tired of being pregnant, Scully, but she will be here soon. I know she will.” Mulder holds me close to him.

“I’m going to sit on the porch swing outside for a while. The fresh air will do me some good. I’d love to go for a walk with you, but I don’t think my back or hips would approve.”  
I turn to finish getting dressed and head out to the porch swing. “I’m going to order some extra food just in case you change your mind, Scully,” Mulder calls after me.

“Okay, thanks Mulder.” I call back. Sitting on that ball sure did help the pain in my hips. I really notice it when I’m walking down the stairs. I’m not quite as winded and my hips don’t ache the same.

Making my way outside, the cool air feels nice and I take a seat on the porch swing, allowing the rocking motion and the cool air relax me. I’m out here for a while when my relaxation is broken by the sound of someone racing up the gravel driveway.

It must be Mulder’s food delivery, and as if on cue Mulder comes out of the front door. “I have an order for Mulder,” the driver says.

“Yeah, that’s me, thanks for driving all the way out here, my wife’s due any time and she didn’t want to make the drive with me, and I wasn’t going to leave her here alone.” Mulder says, pointing to me.

“Yea, I understand…no problem,” the driver says.  
“Thanks again,” Mulder says as the guy drives away. Mulder walks up to me with his bag of Chinese and waives it in my face. “Doesn’t it smell good? It’s going to be inside if you want some,” Mulder says walking inside.

I just continue to rock on the porch swing. I rock for a little while longer until I have to get up and pee. I get up and waddle inside the house. Mulder is sitting on the couch watching the Knicks play on tv. “How’s the game, Mulder?” I ask on my way to the bathroom.

On my way back from the bathroom, I walk over and sit on the couch next to Mulder. “Hey, how are you feeling, Scully?” Mulder asks as he pats my belly.

“Honestly, pretty good right now, still not hungry though,” I say placing my hand over his.

“So how’s the game,” I ask again. “It’s a good game so far Scully, it just started. Knicks vs the Spurs, you gonna sit here and watch it with me?” Mulder asks, surprised.

“Yeah, I think so, I better get into basketball now just in case this baby loves basketball as much as you do,” I say, scooting a little closer so he’ll put his arm around me.

I must have dozed off while sitting next to Mulder. When I wake up, he’s no longer on the couch with me and as I try to stand up, I feel the first contraction. It’s not too painful, but definitely more painful than the Braxton hicks I’ve been having for weeks. 

I wait until the contraction is gone before I try standing again. I rub my belly and lick my lips nervously, hoping that Mulder didn’t go out for a run and I check his office.

“Okay, Mulder, don’t panic but I just felt what I’m pretty sure was a contraction,” I say to him as I rub my belly and walk into his home office.

Mulder stops what he's doing gets out of his chair, walks up to me, places his hand on my belly and says “Okay, I guess this is it, huh, Scully?” Mulder is a lot more calm than I thought he would be.

“I’m going to go take a bath and relax, we have a long road ahead of us,” I say, placing my other hand over his.

“I want you to try and rest while you can after your bath. Since she’s going to be born here, we won’t have to worry about traveling or you having her in the car. If you need anything, send me a text and I’ll be right there,” Mulder says, leaning in and kissing my forehead.

“I’m gonna call Alice and update her,” Mulder says, pulling out his phone as I start to walk toward the stairs. I just nod and walk up the stairs. I stop at the door to the nursery on my way to our bedroom. I smile and rub my belly. “It’s not going to be long now, Abby, and you will be here.” I say softly to the baby.

“How long do you think until she’s here?” Mulder asks, wrapping his arms around my belly from behind and kissing my neck. “Mulder…” I breathe out, startled.

“Sorry Scully, didn’t mean to scare you,” Mulder says apologetically.  
“I don’t know Mulder, could be 5 hours…could be 25 hours, I have no idea,” I say as I stare into the nursery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters are not mine  
> No copyright infringement intended


	5. She's Here!!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The baby is finally here!!

Mulder POV

“Scully I just got off the phone with Alice; she is on her way over now.”

Scully looks at me quizzically “Mulder, Abby isn’t going to be here for many, many hours. Why is Alice coming so soon?”

“She said wants to avoid any surprise unassisted birth situations,” I say gently,

“I’m glad she’s coming so early. Honestly, I wasn’t looking forward to the possibility of having to play birth assistant,” I add, slowly rubbing my hands up and down Scully’s back.

“Mmmm... that feels good, keep doing it,” she whispers.

“What else did she say?” Scully also asks.

“She said she wants you to try and get as much rest as possible, and drink lots of fluids,” I say.

Scully just nods.

“She said it would take her about 45 minutes to get here. Did you still wanna take that bath? I can get it ready for you.” I ask, gently turning Scully so she’s facing me.

“I’d rather just stand here right now with you rubbing my back, or maybe we can continue this back rub while I sit on that yoga ball.”

“Sure, Scully I’m game for whatever is going to help you relax,” I say, leading her to our bedroom and moving the yoga ball so I can sit on the bed before helping her sit on the yoga ball. She’s sitting on the yoga ball leaning forward against my chest, her hands resting on her belly. I start rubbing my hands slowly up and down her back. We stay this way for a good 20 minutes when I feel her body tense. She starts doing the slow rhythmic breathing that we learned in our Lamaze classes.

“Scully, contraction?” I ask. She just nods and continues the breathing. I continue to rub her back and kiss the top of her head. “That one makes 20 minutes between contractions,” I say looking at my phone. “I think we are looking more at the 25-hour labor timeline, unfortunately, Mulder,” she says with a sigh.

“Do you want to stay like this or do you want to get in bed, or maybe take a bath?” I ask gently.

“This,” she breathes out. I just nod and kiss the top of her head. She actually manages to doze off resting against my chest. I am grateful for the rest she is getting. From what I’ve read in those childbirth books, she’s not going to get any rest once the contractions get more intense, plus I am content to sit here and hold her for as long as she wants. I never thought that we could ever come back to each other, and I sure as hell didn’t think that we would be given this amazing gift. I feel her start to stir and feel her heavy rhythmic breathing on my chest.

“That one was still about 20 minutes,” I whisper. She just nods and once the contraction is over, she settles back against my chest.

“Try to go back to sleep Scully,” I whisper into the top of her head. I feel her dozing off again when I hear a knock at the door, I don’t want to get up and leave her, but I know the person at the door is probably Alice.

“Scully, honey, I need to go let Alice in. Can I lay you in bed?” I ask gently.

“No, I don’t want to get in bed, I want to stay on this ball,” she says sleepily. So I leave her on the ball, and instead of leaning on me, she’s now leaning on the side of the bed. “I’m going to let Alice in, and I’ll be right back,” I say leaving the bedroom and running down the stairs.

Alice is indeed the one who’s at the door. I let her in, shut the door and lock it. “Welcome to our humble abode,” I say.

“Lovely home you guys have here, where should I put my bag,” Alice says.

“Down here by the stairs should be good,” I say pointing to a good spot.

“I think I made pretty good time, I left my house at noon, and it’s 12:40 pm. Where’s Dana, is she actually resting as I asked?” Alice asks, surprised.

I chuckle and say “Yea, she’s upstairs resting on a yoga ball; she’s fallen in love with it since it’s taking the pressure off of her poor hips.”

“Why don’t you take me to her, so I can see how we are progressing,” Alice asks.

“Yea, right this way,” I say as I lead Alice up the stairs to our bedroom. When we enter the bedroom, Scully is not where I left her.

“Scully, you in here? Alice is here,” I call out to her.

“Bathroom Mulder, I had…” I hear her call back, the rest of her sentence is cut off by what I assume is a contraction. Alice and I walk to the bathroom door and wait for her to come out.

When she finally comes out she is flushed. “That one wasn’t 20 minutes, it was more like 15 minutes. You doing okay, Scully?” I ask, taking her hands.

“I’m fine, Mulder,” Scully whispers  
“Dana, you look like you just had one hell of a contraction. I’m going to have you lay down so I can check you and see how much you’ve dilated,” Alice says as I walk with Scully over to the bed and help her lay down on top of it. Scully grabs my hand and holds it. I move next to her on the bed and kiss her temple.

“Scully, honey, try and relax,” I whisper in her ear.

“Dana, I’m going to need you to bend your knees and put your feet flat on the mattress. There... like that, that’s it. I’m going to try and be as gentle as possible, try and relax.” If this is being gentle, I would hate to see rough looks like. The grip Scully had on my hand is actually painful.

“Breathe Scully,” I whisper into her hair. Alice pulls her hand out after the exam is finished and pulls her glove off.

“Dana you are about 80 percent effaced, and 4cm dilated, not too bad considering how your contractions have been going,” Alice says, patting Scully’s knee.

“I want to sit on the ball again, Mulder,” Scully whispered.

“Sure, whatever you want,” I say sweetly kissing her temple. I help Scully out of the bed and direct her toward the ball, but before I help her sit on it Alice interjects.

“Dana, I know you love this ball, but we have to get the contractions coming with more intensity. I want you and Mulder to take a walk. The walking will help progress your labor. I’m going to go downstairs and get everything set up,” Alice says, leaving the room.

“We should take a walk outside, Scully; the fresh air will do you good. We can walk the trail we finished on the property,” I suggest, rubbing Scully’s back.

“Yea, Okay. I’m not wearing shoes though, and I’m not changing clothes,” she states as though I’m going to argue.

“However you are most comfortable, that’s all that matters to me Scully,” I say, placing another kiss on her temple.

As we step outside on the porch, the cool air feels good, Scully makes her way to the railing and leans on her forearms as she has another contraction. I stand behind her and dig my fingers into her hips.

“Uuuuhhhhhh… Mulder...” Scully moans.

“Take slow even breaths, Scully, you are doing so well,” I whisper in her ear as the contraction winds down.

“C’mon honey, let’s walk,” I say gently, taking her hand and leading her down the stairs. “We should start timing the contractions, Mulder. I know we’ve been kind of timing them, but we need to actually start timing them now, I downloaded this app called Full Term on my phone. It’s an app for timing contractions, but my phone is inside,” Scully says

“I have my phone with me, Scully, I’ll just download it on my phone,” I say, pulling my phone out of my pocket.

“Okay, the app is downloaded and ready, it’s almost 2 in the afternoon, Scully. On the day before my birthday. Do you think little Abigail and I will share a birthday?” I ask excitedly

“That would be one hell of a birthday present wouldn’t it?” Scully asks as we continue to walk.

“Mulder, I’ve been thinking a lot about the name I chose for our daughter,” I say patting my belly.

“What do you mean Scully, like you want to change it?” I ask looking down at her as we walk along the trail under the trees.

“Ohhhh Mulder….” Scully moans out as the latest contraction takes hold of her body. We stop walking and she hangs around my neck as I rub my hands slowly up and down her back. She’s breathing in slow rhythm breaths.

“That was a strong one, strongest so far,” Scully says breathlessly. “Yea, I think I want to change her name Mulder, I think I want to call her Lily, it means pure and innocent.”

“That’s what she is Scully, it’s perfect,” I say, kissing the top of her head.

“We should probably keep walking Mulder. As much as I just want to go back inside and sit on that ball, walking is best right now,” Scully says as she grabs my hand and continues to walk.

 

We continue our slow walk around the property. The sun is shining, but it’s not too warm out. As we walk, I can feel Scully’s pace get slower and slower until she stops completely. I allow her to hang from me, and pull my phone out of my pocket and hit the ‘start contraction’ button in the app. “Mmmmmmmm,” Scully moans as she sways her hips back and forth.

“You are doing so good, keep breathing,” I whisper in her ear. As it eases up, she rests heavily against my chest. “Scully that was about 45 seconds of a contraction; it was 10 minutes after the last one. The walking is helping, we are making progress,” I say as I kiss her forehead.

“I want to go inside and get in the pool when we get back to the house,” Scully says quietly.

 

“Okay, Scully whatever you want to do, this is your show,” I say, rubbing my hands up and down her back. We continue our slow walk, not needing to speak, just enjoying the weather and each other’s company. It doesn’t seem like it’s been 10 minutes when Scully’s pace slows signaling the start of another contraction. Instead of hanging from me, she drops into a squatting position and holds onto my legs to keep her steady as she puffs out steady breaths.

“Scully?” I say nervously. “Please tell me you aren’t pushing.”

“So much pressure,” she grunts out.

“Breathe honey, let’s get back to the house and in the pool, so you can push if you need to,” I insist while wearing my panic face. I help her to stand, but before we can move she gasps out “Mulder,” as her water breaks causing a trickle of fluid down her leg and a puddle on the ground.

“C’mon Scully, let’s get you back to the house before you have the baby out here in the yard,” I say, picking Scully up and running back to the house.

Alice must have heard all the commotion because she’s waiting for us with the front door open.

“Her water just broke and she says she’s feeling a lot of pressure with the contractions now,” I say breathlessly. Once inside, Alice directs me to lay Scully on the couch that she has all covered in waterproof sheets.

“Pool, Mulder,” Scully whispers.

“Dana, I want to check your dilation before you get into the pool,” Alice says as I set Scully down on the couch. “I’m going to try and be as gentle as I can while I check you, try and relax,” Alice says while putting on a latex glove.

“Mulder…” Scully whimpers, reaching for my hand and grabbing it.

“Breathe Scully, focus on my face,” I whisper in her ear before I kiss her.

“Doing good Dana, 6 cm and 100 percent effaced."  
“Only 6cm, why is there so much pressure?” Scully asks, whining.

“Her head is really low Dana, the pressure you feel is her head pressing on your cervix. Once you are fully dilated, it’s not going to take long,” Alice says, pulling off her glove and rubbing Scully’s leg.

“Let’s get you into the pool Scully. Hopefully, the warm water will provide you with some relief,” I softly suggest as I help Scully take off everything she has on and put on a lightweight tank top before helping her get into the pool.

Scully has been laboring in the pool since a little after 3:30pm this afternoon it is now almost 11pm. Her labor slowed significantly after we got in the pool, but she didn’t want to be anywhere else, so the pool is where we stayed. The slowing of her labor allowed her to get some rest in between contractions. She actually managed to doze off, leaning over the side of the birthing pool with her hands in mine. Luckily, Alice brought her own birthing pool equipped with a heater to keep the water at a certain temperature.

“Dana, I need to check you again, let’s see if the baby is ready to meet you,” Alice says, gently rubbing Scully’s back. Scully spreads her legs so Alice can check her dilation more effectively. The movement causes a contraction to start.

“Mmmmmmmmmm…..” Scully moans as the contraction builds.

“Breathe honey, you are being so strong,” I whisper into her ear.

Alice waits until the contraction is finished before doing the exam. I know she’s trying to be gentle but Scully moans anyway.

“Good Dana, 9cm. I want you to stand up and dance with Mulder in the middle of the pool,” Alice says pulling off her glove.

“I don’t wanna stand, the pressure is too much,” Scully whimpers.

“C’mon honey let’s stand, hopefully, the pressure will help you dilate the last centimeter, and we’ll be able to meet Lily soon,” I soothe as I get into the pool and help Scully to her feet.

“Mulder you are exactly right, we are going to use the pressure to our advantage,” Alice says, impressed with my knowledge. Scully leans against my chest as we sway back and forth. I kiss the top of her head and tell her how much I love her as I slowly rub my hands up and down her back. We stay this way for a little while when I feel her body tense.

“Aaaahhhhhhhh….. Mulder….” Scully moans as the contraction starts. Alice comes over and provides counter pressure by pressing on Scully’s back and hips as we slowly sway back and forth, her rhythmic breathing setting the pace.

“Good, Dana, just like that, listen to your body, keep breathing nice and slow,” Alice says soothingly. “Let's see how the baby is working with the contractions.” Alice grabs a portable heart rate monitor, checking Lily’s heart rate. The whooshing of her heartbeat fills the room and Scully begins to cry. I see her trying to wipe the tears away quickly before they fall, and I take my finger and tilt her chin up toward my face.  
“What’s wrong Scully, why the tears?” I whisper.

“I just want her out, I want to hold her in my arms already,” she says just above a whisper. I place a kiss on her forehead then her lips as I feel her body tense again.

“OOOooooohhhh,” Scully moans as she drops to a squat, still holding onto one of my hands. I stand there, keeping her steady while the contraction runs its course. When is over, she lets go of my hand and gets on her hands and knees, making her way to the side of the pool. I get out and come to the outside of the pool leaning over it to rub her back as she leans over the side.

“Dana, I’m going to check you again,” Alice says, putting 2 gloves on this time. Alice’s exam is quick and what she says is something I’ve been both looking forward to and dreading since Scully’s labor first started.

“Dana, you are fully dilated, time to start pushing,” Alice says excitedly.

“Oh, thank god!” Scully exclaims tiredly. Her excitement is short lived however as the next contraction comes 2 minutes later. “ooohhhhhh she’s coming, I gotta push!!” Scully screams out. Scully is on her knees in the pool, her forearms are resting on the side of it with her hands gripping mine as she pushes.

“Good, Scully, keep pushing,” I coach, kissing our joined hands. She manages to get 3 good pushes out of the contraction before it fades. “That was a great start Dana, get ready to do it again” Alice says, rubbing Scully’s back. All too soon she’s pushing again. She’s been pushing for a solid hour when she starts panicking.

“She’s stuck, I know she is,” Scully whimpers.

“Dana, listen to me, she’s not stuck, she’s coming down with every contraction, you are doing so well," Alice says trying to reassure her, but Scully isn’t convinced. Alice gets my attention and mouths ‘Reassure her’ I nod, and say “Scully... Dana, she’s coming I promise, we will see her soon. She's just fine,” I say, trying to calm Scully down.

Scully just nods and groans as the next contraction starts. “Ohhhh ggggoooddd….. oh, oh, it burns! It burns!” Scully screams out while pushing.

“Keep pushing, Dana, her head is coming out,” Alice coaches.

“I can’t… It burns... oh god… I can’t…” Scully whimpers.

“Okay, can you pant for me, Dana? Just pant,” Alice says gently. Scully is panting and groaning, as I hear Lily’s head come out.

“Great, Dana, the baby’s head is out,” Alice says, cleaning out Lily’s nose and mouth.

“There’s no cord around her neck, you can push with the next contraction. I have the shoulders situated, so she should be out in 2, maybe 3 pushes,” Alice coaches.

“Jesus Scully, she’s almost here. You are amazing, just a little more,” I say filled with more excitement then I know what to do with. The next contraction comes and Scully pushes, crying out as Lily tumbles into Alice’s hands. I help Scully turn over so Alice can place our red faced screaming daughter on her chest.

“She’s finally here, Mulder, we did it!” Scully cries out.

“That was all you Scully, you were amazing! I love you so much, thank you...thank you for giving me our daughter!” I say, kissing her and then kissing our impossibly small daughter.

“I love you so much little one,” I say as I kiss her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters are not mine  
> No copyright infringement intended


	6. Baby’s first hours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mulder and Scully’s first hours with a new baby.

Scully POV

“She’s finally here, Mulder we did it,” I cry out.

“That was all you Scully, you were amazing. I love you so much, thank you.. thank you for giving me our daughter,” Mulder says, kissing me then kissing our impossibly small daughter. “I love you so much little one,” he says kissing her again. “What time was she born?” He asks Alice.

“She was born at 12:13 am,” Alice says cheerfully. “Looks like you got your birthday present Mulder.”

“Yeah, I sure did,” Mulder says with a chuckle.

“Happy Birthday, Mulder,” I say tiredly. Mulder is leaning over the side of the birthing pool gently stroking the tiny head of our newborn daughter.

“I still can’t believe she’s here,” Mulder whispers.

All too soon it’s all business again. Alice has clamped off the cord in two places and hands Mulder a pair of scissors. I can see the look in his eyes as he cuts the cord, this is a huge moment for him. Hell if I’m being honest, it’s a huge moment for us. Mulder hands Alice back the scissors and takes the blanket she hands him.

“I want you to take Lily to the couch, clean her up, and diaper her while I’m finishing up with Dana. Can you do that for me, Mulder?” Alice asks a very tired looking Mulder.

“Yeah, I think we can handle that, right Lils?” Mulder whispers to our daughter as Alice places her in Mulder's arms. Alice is now demanding my attention as I watch Mulder ever so gently walk with Lily to the couch.

“Now Dana, we need to deliver the placenta. I’m going to need a small push from you. Are you ready?” Alice asks. One of her hands kneads my belly to force the placenta out and the other hand is ready to catch it as it comes out. I just nod and gasp as I feel the contractions start again. “Small push, that’s right," Alice coaches. “And we are done!” Alice says triumphantly. She looks it over completely, making sure it’s complete before she takes the placenta and wraps it in a cloth, placing it in a plastic bag on the ground outside of the pool. Then I feel Alice checking me for tears. “Not a single tear, Dana. I was worried about all of the burning you were experiencing that you had torn some, but everything looks good so far. After you are showered, dry, and in bed, I’ll take one more look just to be sure,” Alice says patting my knee.

Mulder walks back over with Lily all wrapped up in a blanket. “Mulder, let me take her from you. I want you to help Dana out of the pool and take her up to your bedroom where she can get cleaned up,” Alice says, taking Lily from Mulder.

Mulder leans into the pool and picks me up in his arms. “Wrap your hands around my neck, Scully.”

Mulder kisses the top of my head before I wrap my arms around his neck and rest my head on his chest. Closing my eyes, he carries me up to our bedroom and places me on the chucks pad already sitting on the end of our bed. I wince and groan as he sets me down, and he instantly picks me back up.  
“No, it’s okay, Mulder. I’m just really sore. You can set me down, it’s fine,” I whisper.

“I’m going to turn the shower on. I want to shower with you,” Mulder says as he walks to the bathroom and turns on the water.

“Mulder I just delivered a baby, we can’t…” I say, trailing off and hoping he understands.

“Oh, no Scully, I know we have to wait 6 weeks. I want to help wash you, so you don’t have to do anything other than stand there. I don’t know how you feel the labor and delivery went, but I know what I saw, and Scully, I’m in awe of you right now.” He says, coming towards me.

I just look at Mulder and say, “Lily’s labor and birth was so much easier than William’s…” I see the shock register on Mulder’s face at the mention of William. “Mulder…. William’s birth was harder because I was fearing for his life and my own. It was harder because… because… you weren’t there,” I say just above a whisper, and look up to see the anguish on his face as the words come out of my mouth.

“Scully, I will never be able to forgive myself for not being with you when you gave birth to William. Not being there to hold your hand, or walk with you through contractions, or kiss your face and tell you how amazing you are doing. On top of missing most of your pregnancy…” Mulder’s voice trails off and I see a tears stream down his face.

“Mulder...” I say my voice breaking. “You may not have been there for his birth, but you were there to rescue us, and get us to a hospital… without you...” My sentence breaks off as my voice cracks again. “You are here now and that’s all that matters,” I say, kissing his lips.

Mulder just shakes his head at me. “Let’s get you cleaned up so you can lay in bed and rest,” Mulder says before picking me up off the bed and carrying me to our bathroom. He sets me down on the toilet lid, helping me take off my tank top before he quickly undresses and checks the water. “Water feels good Scully, let’s get you cleaned up.” He leads me gently into the shower. My steps are slow, and I wince as I step into the shower. “Easy, Scully, let me wash you and then you can lie down,” Mulder says gently as he begins to lather up the washcloth. He’s extremely gentle but fast. He doesn’t want me on my feet any longer than I need to be, and honestly, I’m already ready to lay down before he’s even finished.

“Almost done, Scully,” he whispers as he senses my need to lay down. He rinses me off before turning off the water and grabs a towel to dry me off completely. “Let’s get you in bed, Scully,” Mulder says, gently lifting me up. He carries me into the bedroom and places me carefully down on the bed on top of a giant chucks pad. Alice comes into the bedroom holding Lily.

“Alright Dana, it’s time to try and nurse Lily for the first time. Are you ready?” Alice asks, placing Lily in my open arms.

“Yeah, let me see if I remember how to do this,” I whisper as I offer Lily my nipple. She wastes no time latching on and I gasp and grimace as she starts nursing greedily.

“What Scully, what’s wrong?” Mulder asks worriedly.

“No, Mulder it’s nothing, my nipples are just super tender right now, it’ll be alright,” I say, trying to reassure him.

“She looks like she has a perfect latch Dana, that’s great!” Alice says happily. I stare down at my daughter who is nursing contentedly, in complete awe.

“Now that you are clean and dry I’m going to check you for tears again, Dana,” Alice says, positioning my legs so she can check me. I try to hide the wince as she checks me but Mulder reacts to the pain he sees register on my face.

“Scully..” Mulder whispers. “Alice, there has to be something you can give Scully for her discomfort,” Mulder says, concern clouding his voice.

“There is actually, but for right now I’m going to get some ice packs to help reduce the pain and swelling,” Alice says, leaving us alone and walking down to the kitchen to grabs bags of ice.

“She’s so amazing, isn’t she?” Mulder says, rubbing Lily’s cheek as she continues to nurse.

“I think it’s time to move you to the other side sweetheart,” I coo as I unlatch her and move her to my other breast. She only mewls out a tiny protest before she’s nursing again.

“Mmmm,” I moan as Lily’s nursing has caused the after contractions to start as my body slowly works to return my uterus to its pre-baby size.

“Scully, you okay, do I need to run and get Alice?” Mulder says, his panic face on display.

“No, Mulder, it’s okay… it’s just more contractions,” I start to say, but he interrupts me before I can continue.

“More contractions, Scully?”

I chuckle slightly at his face and reaction before immediately regretting it. “They are harmless after contractions. It’s how my uterus returns to its pre-baby size. It’s completely normal, Mulder, nothing to worry about,” I say, still trying to reassure him. He still looks unconvinced when Alice walks into our bedroom with ice packs.

“Alice, Scully is having more contractions, is that..” Mulder asks, worried.

“The after contractions? They are a necessary part of the birth process. Uncomfortable, but needed,” Alice says and I shoot Mulder a look that says ‘I told you so’.

“Lily’s asleep, Scully,” Mulder whispers so he doesn’t wake her. I look down and she’s out like a light.

“I think I’m going to join her, I’m exhausted,” I say, closing my eyes.

When I wake up, Mulder is rocking Lily in the rocking chair that must have been brought in from her nursery. “Hey, how goes it?” Mulder says when he notices I’m awake.

“Sore, but not as tired,” I say honestly. “Is Alice still here?” I ask looking around.

“Yeah she's still here, she’s asleep in the guest bedroom. I couldn’t sleep and Lily looked so lonely in her bassinet that I decided to move her rocking chair in here and hold her while she slept. That way I could keep an eye on both of you,” Mulder says as he continues to rock Lily ever so gently. I will never be able to get enough of seeing Mulder as a new father. I’m forever grateful that he is able to experience everything is time around. He’s so damn cute sitting there holding our tiny daughter, talking to her about god knows what. I think my heart might burst.

“Mulder, what time is it?” I ask, noticing that the sun is still not up.

“It’s just after 4:30am, Scully you didn’t sleep too long, you should try to go back to sleep,” Mulder suggests gently.

“She’s probably going to need to nurse again here real soon,” I say staring at Mulder. As if on cue, Lily wakes up and lets out the saddest little cry.

“Shhhh shhhh, Lily it’s okay, shhhh,” Mulder whispers and pats her back as he tries to soothe her while bringing her to me. I take her and she latches on, instantly content.

“Look who’s awake,” Alice says standing in the doorway. “How are you feeling, Dana?” she asks, walking over to the bed and checking on us.

“Like I’ve been hit by a truck, but extremely happy,” I say, looking down at Lily and then up to where Mulder is standing.

“That’s good, let’s check your bleeding. I’m going to have you try and use the bathroom after Lily is done nursing," Alice says as she lifts the sheets, removing the bags of melted ice before examining me. “You look really good, Dana, the bleeding is very light and the swelling has gone way down,” Alice says, impressed with my progress. I switch Lily to the other side where she falls asleep.

“I’ll take her and burp her,” Mulder says, throwing a burp rag over his shoulder and taking Lily. He walks around the room with her resting on his shoulder, patting her back and bouncing. It’s not too long when she lets out a huge belch and then falls back asleep.

“Oh God, how does such a huge belch come out of someone so tiny,” I ask chuckling softly.

“We have a system, Scully,” Mulder says, carefully sitting down in the rocking chair and rocking Lily.

“Ah, I see,” I say, continuing to stare lovingly them.

“Dana, I want you to try and get up and use the bathroom,” Alice says, helping me get out of bed. I start slowly, trying to gauge just how sore I am. I can feel Mulder watching me from across the room. I know he’s torn between rocking Lily and helping me.

“It’s okay, Mulder. She needs you more right now. I’m fine.” At his surprised look, I add “I’m sore, but I just gave birth less than 12 hrs ago, soreness comes with the territory. Alice will help me,” I say, trying to reassure him. We make our way ever so slowly to the bathroom. Alice helps me sit down on the toilet and hands me a squeeze bottle with warm water in it.

“After you’ve finished, I want you to use that to clean yourself,” she says. I only have to pee a tiny bit, but boy does it burn. After I’m finished, I use the squirt bottle to clean myself.

“Dana I want you to put this underwear on. They have a super absorbent maxi pad in them, and I want you to spray some of this lidocaine foam on the pad before you put them on. It will help relieve any pain you are dealing with.” Alice says, handing me the can after I pull the post-birth underwear most of the way on. I spray a generous amount of the foam on the pad and pull the underwear up. The foam is cold, but I notice the effects of the lidocaine within a few mins.

“Wow! I love this spray!! How many cans are you leaving me?” I ask and Alice laughs. One application is good for 6 hours and I’m leaving you 5 cans,” Alice says as she helps me back to the bed, then helps me climb in it.

I look toward the window and the sun is starting to come up. Mulder has fallen asleep with Lily in his arms, and I feel myself starting to nod off. “Dana, get some rest, I’m going to start packing up, and I’ll come to see if you need anything before I leave. I see no reason to stay any longer. Lily is healthy and is latching on correctly. You are healing as you should be and Mulder has everything else under control. I expect to see you in my office in 2 weeks for her follow up appointment though.” Alice says, patting my shoulder.

I tear up a little.

“Thanks for everything, Alice. You’ve been amazing.”

FIN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters are not mine  
> No copyright infringement intended


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